Tips for selling
Selling your home is easier if you think ahead and prepare your property before the ‘for sale’ sign goes up. This helps you sell quicker and get a better price.
If selling in the ACT the 1st and most important tip is have your own pre-listing inspection and reports completed.
Tips for outside the home
- Gardens and yards
Buyers see your garden or yard before they see the inside of your home. To make a great first impression, tidy your outdoor area and, if budget permits, brighten up your garden with plants or flowers. - Windows
Sparkling windows, with clean frames and sills, let light into your home and can make it look bigger. Trimming back overgrown plants and trees from windows can also add to the feel of spaciousness. - Garage
Garages are magnets for unused junk. Clear out what you don’t need to store before selling—even consider making some money with a garage sale. - Pool
If you have a pool, make sure it’s spotless. If not you could make a buyer think owning a pool is ‘too much hard work’.
Tips for inside your home
- Curtains
Give your home a bright, airy feeling by opening curtains and blinds. A well lit home always feels more pleasant than a dark one. - Carpets
Clean your carpets to give your home a lift in appearance. - Bedrooms
Clean all bedrooms of clutter to make them look larger. - Paintwork
A fresh coat of paint makes a home feel new. However, painting just before selling can suggest you’re covering up problems. It’s best to paint a few months before you sell (preferably in neutral tones). If you don’t want to paint, it is recommended to clean all marks off the walls. - Kitchens
Clean and tidy your kitchen. Always have the kitchen well kept and free of odours so you’re ready if your agent calls wanting to show someone your property. - Bathrooms
Clean, tidy bathrooms leave a first, good impression. Give your bathrooms a good ‘going over’ and finish off with fresh flowers or pretty soaps.
General tips
- Fix the little maintenance issues
If you’ve lived in your house for many years you’ve likely got used to ‘little things’ that need tending—maintenance issues you may not notice but which a buyer could well notice. This includes fixing doors that don’t close properly, taps that drip and sliding doors that don’t slide smoothly. If you don’t have time to tackle maintenance yourself, engage the services of a handyman. - Pets
Not everyone loves pets. Clean up the yard and around the house so buyers don’t stumble across pet ‘accidents’. Air the house out well to eliminate odours. Take your pets out of the house during inspections. - Make your house a home
Buyers are influenced by emotion so make your house a welcoming home—comfortable and pleasant to walk through. Think of these types of special touches:
flowering pot plants at the front gate or front door
welcome doormat
pleasant aromas (not overpowering) such as baking or fresh coffee brewing
warm your house in winter and cool it in summer
place flowers throughout
add pillows to your beds to make them look comfy.
